


Winning the Game

by Cartadwarfwithaheartofgold (manka)



Series: Setting the World on Fire: One-shots from The (Modern AU) Love Story of Varric Tethras and Maria Cadash [3]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Bars and Pubs, F/M, Flirting, Fluff and Humor, Gambling, Modern Thedas, Sexual Tension, Varric Tethras' Chest Hair
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-06
Updated: 2020-09-06
Packaged: 2021-03-06 14:48:27
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 706
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26330653
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/manka/pseuds/Cartadwarfwithaheartofgold
Summary: Maria Cadash is leading in a game of darts. Varric will do anything to even the playing field....even if it involves flaunting his best asset a bit more than usual.
Relationships: Female Cadash/Varric Tethras, Female Inquisitor/Varric Tethras, Maria Cadash/Varric Tethras - Relationship
Series: Setting the World on Fire: One-shots from The (Modern AU) Love Story of Varric Tethras and Maria Cadash [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1896766
Comments: 3
Kudos: 10





	Winning the Game

Maria Cadash was winning, but it was tight, and only two players remained. Sera abandoned their game of darts long ago to drape herself over the bar, chatting with a rather large biker woman with an intriguing set of tattoos. She was fairly certain they were currently arm wrestling while Bull flirted with the redheaded bartender. 

Maria reclined against the lopsided pool table and watched Varric retrieve his darts from the board with an air of casual nonchalance. He’d had a good turn, but not perfect. If Maria _was_ perfect, like she knew she could be, she’d win. 

She’d win… 

Whatever the wager was that they’d put down. She honestly forgot what it was the moment Varric turned back around with that damn self-satisfied smirk, strands of his chin length hair coming undone from the tie that kept it away from his face, and his chest…

This must be how men felt when they saw her sister’s cleavage. Like a choir of angels was singing somewhere in the background. Maria never could resist a quick, lingering glance down the trail of revealed skin, but she _immediately_ realized she was being played.

Maria Cadash, after all, knew _exactly_ how many buttons Varric usually left undone on his shirts. And the damn bastard had undone two more while he retrieved his darts, revealing more of that tempting trail of hair, his chiseled muscles, his…

“Your move, Princess.” His voice was awash in laughter. He _knew_ what he was doing. She resolved to ignore it, but instead of meandering back to her side, he leaned beside the dartboard as casual as could be. 

Smug bastard. 

“You gonna let me take your eye out, Tethras?” She asked in a dangerous purr. His grin widened even further, growing amusement and heat dancing in his whiskey colored eyes. 

“Are you that distracted?” He asked smoothly. 

“Don’t flatter yourself.” She snapped back, running her hand through her hair. She fingered her darts to sooth her nerves, wrenching her eyes from his tempting figure to stare at the board. 

Her first shot landed perfectly right in the tiniest circle. She sent up a mental hurrah, tossing her hair over her shoulder and returning his smirk with one of her own. “It’ll take more than you flaunting your assets to distract me.” 

“I could start talking.” Varric didn’t seem the least bit bothered by her resistance. She lined up her next shot, but just before she let it fly, his warm voice curled deep inside her. “I keep thinking about that Villa.” 

_The Villa_. The one they’d been invited to, that turned out to be infested with demons of course, but before they’d figured that out there’d been the room with the tub in the floor, marble and tile like a place fit for emperors and courtesans of old to recline. 

There’d been Varric, soft and slick from the water, tracing droplets with his tongue over the tattoo decorating her thigh. 

Her shot went wide of the mark and landed just shy of where she wanted it to. She shook her head to clear it and glared playfully at him. “You’e going to pay for this, Tethras.” 

“Oh trust me.” Varric didn’t seem the least bit bothered. “I’m completely fine with paying my debt to society. Particularly to the beautiful, exquisite…” 

Before he could try to distract her with his sinfully rich caramel voice again, she let the last dart fly. It landed perfectly as well, securing her victory by one measly point. Varric laughed, shaking his head as she leaned back against the pool table again, folding her arms over her own chest victoriously. 

“What do I own of yours now, Varric?” She asked. 

“I think we wagered this shirt.” Varric crossed back to her side, circling her waist with his arm and dipping his lips to her ear. “And several other items of clothing.” 

“Call an Uber.” She ordered, pushing him away and whistling to the two assholes at the bar. “Pay our tabs, we’re heading back!” 

“I don’t have any money!” Sera squawked indignantly, but it didn’t matter. Varric was already almost shoving her out of the bar and her stomach was already bubbling with anticipation. 

She’d won the game, after all.

**Author's Note:**

> FINE DWARVEN CHEST HAIR DIRECT FROM KIRKWALL AT [@cartadwarfwithaheartofgold](http://cartadwarfwithaheartofgold.tumblr.com)


End file.
